[Nasheman news] Bhopal Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has hinted at his “earlier than expected comeback” to the treasury benches as the Kamal Nath-led Congress government may not last its full term of five years.
Chouhan was meeting his supporters on his last night at the Chief Minister’s residence late on Wednesday, when he assured them and said: “Don’t worry about your future. Don’t be despondent over what will happen to you, for I will be back.”
As Bharatiya Janata Party workers shouted slogans of Chouhan’s return in five years, the former Chief Minister, who ruled the state for three straight terms before being ousted in a close contest in the aeeembly elections, said in Bollywood style: “Tiger abhi zinda hai (The King is till alive).”
“Maybe it will not take an entire five years, may be I will be back sooner than you expect,” Chouhan added.
The Congress won 114 seats in the 230-member House. It fell two short of the magic number in a contest with the BJP (109) that went down to the wire.
However, the Congress ensured the support of 121 MLAs with the Samajwadi Party (1), Bahujan Samaj Party (2) and four Independents backing it.
ICC asks PCB to pay compensation to BCCI
Dubai, (IANS) The International Cricket Council on Wednesday asked the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to pay the BCCI nearly 60 percent of the legal costs after losing their bid to claim compensation for cancelled bilateral series.
Last month, the PCB had asked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to pay around $63 million for pulling out of two bilateral series in 2014 and 2015, which was rejected by the ICC’s Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC).
According to norm, the winning party claims legal costs from the losing side.
“The DRC has determined that the PCB should pay 60 percent of “(a) the (BCCI’s) Claimed Costs; and (b) the administrative costs and expenses of the Panel… (including, without limitation, the fees of the Tribunal members, and the costs and expenses they incurred in relation to this matter), the figure whereof is to be supplied to the PCB by the ICC,” Cricinfo quoted the ICC as saying.
Both boards have not yet disclosed the actual amount to be paid by the PCB.
“The PCB notes the ICC Dispute Panel’s decision on BCCI’s claims for their legal expense incurred on the PCB-BCCI dispute,” the PCB said in a statement.
“The award of significantly lesser costs than claimed by BCCI reflects that PCB’s case had merits. The PCB, however, reiterates its disappointment in the original decision/award given against it,” the board added.
Equity indices open in red; Sensex down 180 points
[Nasheman news] MumbaiThe key Indian equity indices opened on a negative note on Thursday with the S&P BSE Sensex trading around 180 points lower during the morning session.
The domestic indices traded lower tracking weakness in the Asian markets.
At 9.38 a.m., the Sensex traded at 36,304.64, lower by 179.69 points or 0.49 per cent from the previous close of 36,484.33.
It had opened at 36,321.18, and has touched a intra-day high of 36,352.65 and a low of 36,213.73.
The Nifty50 on the National Stock Exchange traded at 10,908.15, lower by 59.15 points or 0.54 per cent from its previous close.
US begins withdrawing troops from Syria, claims victory over IS
[Nasheman news] Washington The Donald Trump-led US administration announced that it has started returning US troops home from Syria after claiming a victory in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) without revealing any detailed timetable.
“We have started returning US home as we transition to the next phase of this campaign,” said White House Spokesperson Sarah Sanders in a statement on Wednesday, claiming that America has “defeated the territorial caliphate”.
Pentagon later echoed the White House claim, saying that the US military has already begun the process of bringing the US forces back while emphasizing the continuity of the campaign, Xinhua news agency reported.
“The Coalition has liberated the IS-held territory, but the campaign against IS is not over,” Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said in a tweet.
All US State Department personnel are being evacuated from Syria within 24 hours, informed sources said.
An official also revealed that the time-frame for the troops withdrawal from the war-torn Arab country is expected to be between 60 and 100 days.
However, a senior Trump administration official, during a background briefing held on Wednesday afternoon, did not directly answer reporters’ questions on how the administration intends to withdraw the troops or whether there will a deadline for that.
Sanders’ statement came about one hour after US President Donald Trump hinted in a tweet about imminent US troop withdrawal from Syria.
“We have defeated the IS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency,” Trump tweeted on Wednesday morning.
Earlier on Wednesday, the US media cited anonymous officials as saying that the US is planning a “rapid” and “full” withdrawal of troops from Syria.
Currently, there are more than 2,000 US soldiers deployed in Syria.
Trump has long voiced his desire to bring the US troops back home when possible, while senior administration officials including Defence Secretary James Mattis have advocated for a longer-term military deployment in Syria to secure a victory against the IS.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration’s claim about victory against the IS has been questioned.
“I strongly disagree. It has morphed into other forms of extremism and the threat is very much alive,” tweeted British Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood, following Trump’s claim on the social media.
Senior Republican Senator Lindsey Graham warned “devastating consequences” for US troops quitting Syria.
“An American withdrawal at this time would be a big win for IS, Iran, Bashar al Assad of Syria, and Russia,” the lawmaker from the state of South Carolina said in a statement on Wednesday.
Former civil servants attack Yogi, Modi over Bulandshahr mob violence
New Delhi, A group of former bureaucrats and diplomats have come down heavily on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over the Bulandshahr mob violence which they said showed “perverted” fundamental principles of governance and constitutional ethics of the BJP government in the state and slammed the “stony silence” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue.
“The mob violence in Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh on Dec 3, 2018, instigated and engineered with malicious intent, led to the cold-blooded murder of a police officer brave enough to step forward single-handedly to pacify the mob, marks the most dangerous turn yet in the direction taken by the politics of hate in recent times.
“It shows that in India’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, fundamental principles of governance, of constitutional ethics and of humane social conduct stand perverted. The Chief Minister of the state acts as high priest of the agenda of bigotry and majoritarian supremacy — an agenda which now seems to take precedence over everything else,” they said in an open letter.
The 83 signatories to the letter — including former Foreign Secretaries Shiv Shankar Menon (who was also National Security Adviser), Shayam Saran and Sujata Singh, former Ambassador and DGP Julio Ribeiro, former Special Secretary Vappala Balakrishnan, former Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, Harsh Mander and Jawahar Sircar — said in the letter that it was a measure of rapid erosion of constitutional values that they as a group had felt a compelling need to speak out about as many as nine times in the last 18 months.
“The pace of erosion has been frightening and with each slip, we seem to sink further into a lawless abyss,” they said.
The Bulandshahr episode, which followed a succession of events aimed at isolating and intimidating Muslim community in Uttar Pradesh, showed that under Yogi Adityanath, hooliganism and thuggery have been mainstreamed into governance, not just to intimidate minorities but to teach a lesson to anyone, including police personnel and others in the administration, who dared to be even-handed in their approach to minority communities.
They said there was no doubt that there was nothing spontaneous about the violence that led to the killing of Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh, nor was there any doubt as to who the political elements were that aided and abetted the violence.
“This was a deliberate attempt to display majoritarian muscle and send a message to Muslim communities living in the region that they have to live in fear, accept their subordinate status and conform to the cultural diktats of the majority community.”
The Chief Minister refused to acknowledge the gravity of the incident and its communal intent, condemn the perpetrators of violence or direct the police to take action against them, and instead asked them to focus attention on those responsible for illegal cow slaughter, the former bureaucrats said.
“The police authorities draw an equivalence between the killing of a police officer and the illegal slaughter of cows and claim that unless both crimes are investigated together, it will not be possible to come to any conclusions about the violence of the mob and murder of a colleague,” they said.
Turning their attention to Modi, the former civil servants said: “Our Prime Minister, who is so voluble in his election campaigns and who never tires of telling us how the Constitution of India is the only holy book he worships, maintains a stony silence even as he sees a Chief Minister handpicked by him treat the same Constitution with sheer contempt.
“It is evident that for the Sangh Parivar, constitutional morality is of no value, and is necessarily subordinate to the ideals of majoritarian supremacy.”
They asserted that never before in recent history had the politics of hate, division and exclusion been so dominant and the poisonous ideology, which had penetrated deep into the body politic.
“This is a crucial moment and we can’t take it lying down anymore. We call upon all citizens to unite in a crusade against the politics of hate and division — a politics which aims to destroy the fundamental principles on which our republic is founded.”
They urged the citizens to demand the resignation of Yogi Adityanath for his failure to abide by the Constitution to which he has sworn his allegiance and to remind the Chief Secretary, DGP, Home Secretary and all other members of high civil services concern of their constitutional duty to fearlessly implement the rule of law rather than to perverse diktats of their political masters.
They also urged the Allahabad High Court to take suo motu cognisance of the Bulandshahr incident and order a judicial inquiry supervised by them to uncover the true facts, expose the political collusion, fix responsibility and recommend action.
British Airways to resume flights to Pakistan after a decade
UK airline cites improving security situation, a decade after it suspended flights following an attack in Islamabad.by Asad Hashim4 hours ago
Islamabad, Pakistan – The United Kingdom‘s flag carrier, British Airways, will resume direct flights to Pakistan in June, a decade after suspending services to the South Asian nation over security concerns, the airline has announced.
The service will resume with three flights each week between the two countries’ capitals, London and Islamabad, British Airways head of sales for the Asia Pacific and the Middle East Robert Williams told a news conference in Islamabad on Tuesday.
“It’s exciting to be flying between Islamabad and Heathrow from next year, which we believe will be particularly popular with the British Pakistani community who want to visit, or be visited by, their relatives,” Williams said.
The UK is home to an estimated 1.17 million people of Pakistani origin, according to the British Office for National Statistics, making it one of the largest diaspora hosts for the South Asian country.
The Pakistani government has lauded the decision as an indicator of improving security and economic investment opportunities in the country.
“Pakistan is once again getting connected with the world,” said Syed Zulfikar Bukhari, the Pakistani prime minister’s special assistant on overseas Pakistanis and human resource development. Bukhari is himself a dual national of the UK and Pakistan.
“Delighted to learn British Airways will be resuming flights to Pakistan,” tweeted Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi following the announcement.
“This decision is an acknowledgement of Pakistan’s continued efforts for peace & elimination of terrorism.”
The British Airways flights will resume from June 2, 2019, it said in a statement.
Direct flights
British Airways is the first major European airline to resume direct flights to Pakistan since services were suspended due to security concerns in the mid-2000s. The airline had suspended services after a deadly truck bombing at Islamabad’s Marriot hotel in 2008 killed more than 50 people.
In the interim, Gulf-based airlines – Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways – stepped in to absorb the bulk of the country’s international air traffic.
Pakistan has been battling the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, an umbrella organisation of armed groups that has vowed to overthrow the government and enforce a strict interpretation of Islamic law, since 2007.
Since 2014, a series of military operations has seriously degraded the Tehreek-e-Taliban’s ability to launch frequent attacks targeting civilians and security forces, with violence dropping significantly as the group was displaced from its erstwhile headquarters in the northwest of the country.
Sporadic heavy-casualty attacks, however, have continued to occur, as the Pakistan Taliban has shifted its operational headquarters to eastern Afghanistan.
NHAI officials booked after part of Gurugram flyover falls down
Gurugram,The contractor and officials of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) have been booked in connection with the falling off of a portion of the Rampura flyover on the Delhi-Jaipur national highway on Monday, police said on Wednesday.
The case was registered on the complaint of a group of Right to Information (RTI) activists including Ramesh Yadav, Baldev Mehra, Omprakash Kataria and others.
“The nexus of contractor and NHAI officials used poor construction materials intentionally to dupe public money that caused the flyover to break off,” the complaint read.
The accused have been booked under Section 336 (endangering life or personal safety of others) and Section 34 (common intent) of the Indian Penal Code at Kherki Daula Police Station, Yadav told IANS.
About a six square feet portion of the flyover in Haryana fell off on December 17. The flyover is nearly 46 km from Delhi.
“The affected portion of the expressway has been cordoned off and is being repaired. It would take at least ten more days to make it fully functional,” an official said.
“Light traffic is passing on the elevated road using the two lanes. Traffic passing under the affected flyover has been completely stopped as repair work by NHAI is in progress,” chief of Manesar traffic police station Munesh Kumar said.
The flyover was opened for traffic nearly two years ago. A portion of another flyover near Manesar and Hero Honda Chowk had fallen down earlier in 2018.
BJP showing Parrikar as ‘He-man, Superman’ in staged photo-shoots: Congress
Panaji, Ailing Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar is being projected as a ‘He-Man or Superman’ by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and made to pose in staged photo-shoots, the Congress said on Wednesday, chiding the former Defence Minister for skipping the 57th Goa Liberation Day Parade.
“The BJP is only indulging in staged photo sessions and they are projecting the CM of Goa as a ‘He-Man or Superman’. Parrikar had the time and fitness to inspect an under-construction bridge with doctors alongside him, but could not be present to hoist the tricolour on Goa Liberation Day. That is a really sad state of affairs,” Congress spokesperson Urfan Mulla told reporters on Wednesday.
The Congress on Monday had dared the 63-year-old Chief Minister to hoist the national flag on the occasion of the state Liberation Day, a day after Parrikar on Sunday made his first public appearance in nearly two months, when he, accompanied by a medical team, inspected an under-construction bridge near Panaji.
Parrikar’s public appearance on Sunday comes at a time when the Panaji Bench of the Bombay High Court is due to pronounce its order on a petition which seeks making the health status of the ailing Chief Minister public.
Parrikar is suffering from advanced pancreatic cancer and has been in and out of hospitals in Goa, Mumbai, New York and Delhi for nearly nine months. The Opposition has demanded Parrikar’s resignation on account of his prolonged ill-health.
Earlier at the Liberation Day parade on Wednesday, Speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly Pramod Sawant stood in for Parrikar.
“Goa CM Manohar Parrikar could not attend the assembly because of health issues. Therefore I am reading his speech in his absence,” Sawant said.
The Speaker also extolled freedom fighters who had to struggle and, in some cases, pay with their life for liberating Goa from the Portuguese. He also expressed his indebtedness to the Indian armed forces for liberating Goa.
“Indian freedom struggle was incomplete until Goa was eventually freed from 450 years of oppressive Portuguese rule. Portugal used religion to divide and rule to retain power in Goa,” Sawant said, while extolling the achievements of the state in the fields of health, education, infrastructure, since liberation.
Sawant also encouraged Goans to make the state plastic and garbage free.
Karnataka Congress legislators lobby for cabinet posts
Belagavi Ahead of the cabinet expansion of the coalition government in the state on December 22, several party legislators are lobbying for their inclusion with party’s leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, said an official.
“Many legislators, including senior leaders have urged Siddaramaiah to recommend them to the party high command for the six cabinet posts vacant from the party’s quota in the 6-month-old JD(S)-Congress government,” a party official told IANS here on Tuesday.
As Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader, Siddaramaiah discussed the cabinet expansion and appointment of chairmen of boards and corporations with about 70 legislators on short-listing some of them for approval by party President Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on December 21.
“Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara of the Congress will submit the list of names finalised at the CLP meeting to ensure regional balance and fair representation of them region and caste wise,” said the official from the state’s northwest city, about 500km northwest of Bengaluru.
Among the senior legislators – HK Patil, MB Patil, Ramalinga Reddy and Roshan Baig were left out of the cabinet, formed in June after two parties forged an alliance following a hung verdict in the May 12 Assembly elections.
In the 34-member ministry, the Congress made 15 of its 80 legislators cabinet ministers while the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) filled 9 out of 11 posts as part of its quota.
“As all the legislators, including seniors cannot be accommodated in the ministry due to the 34-member limit, some of them have been shortlisted for posts of state-run boards and corporations.
As per the worked-out formula, the Congress is entitled to 20 of the 30 state-run boards and corporations and JD-S the remaining 10 posts.
The cabinet expansion is slated to take place in Bengaluru after the 10-day winter session of the state legislature concludes on Friday here.
“Heads of boards and corporations will be named after the cabinet expansion,” added the official.
Actress Saira Banu pins hopes on CM for resolving property dispute
Mumbai, Veteran actress and wife of Dilip Kumar, Saira Banu, hopes that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will stick to his promise with regard to resolving a property dispute with builder Samir Bhojwani.
Interacting with mediapersons here on Tuesday, Saira Banu said she had sought a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi who was here on Tuesday to discuss the issue following the builder’s release from jail.
Bhojwani had falsely claimed ownership of the two plots on which Kumar’s bungalow is built. The 96-year-old actor’s bungalow is located in the upscale Pali Hill area of suburban Bandra.
Saira Banu’s request for a meeting with PM was shared on Dilip Kumar’s official Twitter account. “Request from Saira Banu Khan: The Hon’ble @PMOIndia Shri @narendramodi Sir, Land Mafia Samir Bhojwani released from jail. No action taken despite assurances by CM @Dev_Fadnavis. Padma Vibhushit betrayed, threatened by money and muscle power. Request meeting with you in #Mumbai,” the tweet read.
Banu had also tagged Fadnavis in her tweet.
When asked about the star couple’s apprehension following Bhojwani’s release, Fadnavis told the media that he will speak to them and try to sort out the issue.
According to Saira Banu, Prime Minister Modi has directed Fadnavis to study and sort out the issue as soon as possible.
“We are hopeful that the Prime Minister will look into the matter and I hope our kind Chief Minister will also look into it and take due action. For the last three months, the CM has been promising me that he will talk to Bhojwani and resolve the issue. I hope he will stick to his words and do the needful.”
Giving details about the dispute, Saira Banu said: “We have been facing this court dispute and harassment by Samir Bhojwani for the last 10-12 years. This man (Samir Bhojwani) is an expert at land grabbing, forgery and fraudulent cases. He is doing these things because he has muscle power and money. He has big political connections, and therefore, no one is willing to take action against him.”
Saira Banu also stated that Bhojwani has violated BMC guidelines but they have not taken any action against him.
“Earlier, he wanted to build a cottage for his sister in front of our residence. At that time, we gave him permission. After that, we went out of Mumbai for two-three months and when we returned, we saw that he had built a two-three storey building instead of a cottage, and while doing so he had violated BMC rules but no one has taken any kind of action against him.”
Stating that Dilip Kumar’s residence is a famous landmark in Bandra, Saira Banu said, “The entire world knows that this is Dilip Kumar saab’s residence so how can he trespass on that land? He knows that Dilip saab has health issues and because of all this stress his health has deteriorated even more.”
Saira Banu added that Dilip Kumar has an emotional attachment with his house. “It is his only house and we all are emotionally attached to it. Dilip saab’s younger sister and brother have grown up in this house.
“He hasn’t worked in 300 films that he can afford to invest in properties. In his entire film career, he has hardly been part of 56 good films. He is a man who has contributed a lot for his country through his art.”
In December 2017, Saira Banu had lodged a police complaint alleging that Bhojwani was threatening and harassing her and Dilip Kumar over the property. Following the complaint, the Mumbai police had arrested Bhojwani.